Dolphin Point Press Release

Dolphin Point Press Release

6/12/2012 1:12:00 PM

SEAWORLD REOPENS DOLPHIN INTERACTION AREA WITH A NEW NAME AND MORE WAYS TO CONNECT WITH DOLPHINS

The dolphin interaction area at SeaWorld® San Diego has a new name, Dolphin Point, and now offers several interactive experiences that allow guests to get closer to dolphins than ever before.

The new dolphin connection experience allows guests to interact with the dolphins and their trainers in a whole new way. At specified times throughout the day, trainers get in the water and play, swim and splash with the dolphins. Guests around the ledge of the pool can get in on the fun and become part of the action, while learning about these amazing marine mammals and SeaWorld's training techniques. Guests may even have the opportunity to rub down, feed, watch a medical checkup or give the dolphins training signals just like a SeaWorld dolphin trainer. The daily experience, which is free with park admission, replaces the paid feeding experience.

“This new experience at Dolphin Point is a great opportunity for guests to interact with dolphins at no additional cost,” says Dave Roberts, assistant curator of animal training. “Everyone is having a great time: the park guests, trainers and dolphins!”

In addition to dolphin connection experiences, guests can come by and interact with the dolphins any time at Dolphin Point while trainers are on site. Dolphin Point is open to the public from when the park opens until the last Shamu show of the day.

For animal lovers who want an even more immersive animal experience, SeaWorld’s Dolphin Interaction Program (DIP) can be a dream come true. Up to 12 DIP participants per session (maximum of six per group) slip into SeaWorld wet suits and begin the adventure of a lifetime. Guests enter SeaWorld’s dolphin interaction pool for approximately 20 minutes, where they feed, touch and interact with bottlenose dolphins. The wet suits and booties make dipping into the temperate water a comfortable experience and swimming skills are not required during these shallow-area interactions. Participants must be at least 10 years old and 48 inches tall.

Guests who want to get close to bottlenose dolphins without getting in the water can participate in the Dolphin Encounter, a separate private experience. During the 10-minute, trainer-guided program, guests are guaranteed to touch, feed and train dolphins, while learning about the species’ natural history, conservation and training. For current prices on SeaWorld’s DIP and Dolphin Encounter, visit SeaWorld’s website (www.seaworldsandiego.com) or call (800) 25-SHAMU and press option 3.

SeaWorld’s animal training and mammal teams care for the dolphins by using innovative behavioral and environmental enrichment techniques pioneered by SeaWorld marine animal experts. SeaWorld is an industry leader in best practices that enhance animals’ health and well-being. The Dolphin Point pools consist of 620,000 gallons of salt water, which are maintained between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

An adult bottlenose dolphin weighs about 500 pounds and eats about four to five percent of its body weight per day. A SeaWorld dolphin diet consists of several types of fish, squid and shrimp prepared daily by animal care specialists. At any given time, there are more than a dozen bottlenose dolphins in the habitat. More than 70 dolphin calves have been born at SeaWorld since the early 1970s.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment inspires millions, through the power of entertainment, to celebrate, connect with and care for the natural world. The Company has been creating innovative entertainment experiences that blend imagination with nature for more than 50 years and is best known for its 11 U.S. theme parks, attractions that hosted more than 24 million guests in 2012 and include the beloved SeaWorld®, Busch Gardens® and Sesame Place® brands. The parks offer guests a variety of up-close experiences, from animal encounters that invite exploration and appreciation of the natural world, to thrilling rides and spectacular shows. In 2011, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment began expanding its popular brands into media and entertainment platforms to connect people to nature and animals through movies, television, and digital media; plus began developing new lines of licensed consumer products.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is one of the world's foremost zoological organizations and a global leader in animal welfare, training, husbandry and veterinary care. The Company maintains one of the largest animal collections in the world and has helped lead advances in the care of species in zoological facilities and in the conservation of wild populations. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment also operates one of the world's most respected programs to rescue and rehabilitate ocean marine animals that are ill, injured and orphaned, with the goal of returning them to the wild. The SeaWorld® rescue team has helped more than 22,000 animals in need over the last four decades.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment employs more than 21,000 people nationwide.